1351, England, Edward III of Windsor. Gold Noble Coin. NGC AU
Mint Place: London Mint Period: 1351-1352 Denomination: Gold Noble References: Friedberg 89, S-1486. R! Condition: Certified and graded by NGC as AU (Details: Edge Filing!) Diameter: 32mm Weight: 7.16gm Material: Gold!
Obverse: Crowned and armored King (Edward III) on ship holding sword and shield with coat-of-arms of England. Legend: EDWARDVS DEI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC D hYB Translated: ("Edward, by the grace of God King of England and France, Lord of Ireland")
Reverse: Ornate floriated cross with a small centered intial ("E") of the King. Crowned leopards and lis symbols in angles. All within a polylobe. Legend: IhC AVTEM TRANSIENS P MEDIVM ILLORV IBAT, Translated: ("But Jesus passing through their midst went His way.").
The noble was the first English gold coin produced in quantity, introduced during the second coinage (1344–1346) of King Edward III. It was preceded by the gold penny and the florin, minted during the reign of King Henry III and the beginning of the reign of King Edward III; these saw little circulation. The derivatives of the noble, the half noble and quarter noble, on the other hand, were produced in quantity and were very popular.